For two members of the Chula Vista Park View All-Star team, yesterday's trip to South Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series proved to be memorable.

It was the first airplane trip for pitcher Isaiah Armenta and outfielder Markus Melin.

“Once we got off the ground and into the air, it was fine,” Armenta said.

And the takeoff?

“Oh my gosh,” he said, “I was scared.”

Melin apparently can relate.

“He's not feeling too well,” said manager Oscar Castro.

The baseball team flew from
L.A./Ontario
International Airport to Houston, then to Newark, N.J., where the team was scheduled to board a bus to South Williamsport.

The team is starting to experience life in the limelight. At the airport in Ontario, pitcher Luke Ramirez spotted his picture on the front page of of San Bernardino.

When Ramirez asked a cashier how much the newspaper cost, a stranger bought it and handed it to the 6-foot-2, 200-pound slugger.

On the flight to Houston, the Park View team and the Northwest Region champs from Mercer Island, Wash., were introduced over the PA system by a flight attendant.

“How recognized we're getting, that's great,” Ramirez said.

The players were treated to another highlight: For $6, some bought the in-flight TV upgrade and watched a replay of Park View's 11-4 West Region championship game win over Northern California.

“The kids loved it,” Castro said.

The team can begin practice today. In addition to Lamade Stadium and Volunteer Stadium, the Little League complex includes six practice fields.

On Thursday, the players will participate in the Grand Slam Parade through downtown Williamsport. The parade includes eight flat-bed floats, each carrying two teams — one from the United States, the other an international team.

Opening ceremonies are Friday. All 16 teams will be introduced wearing game uniforms. The Park View team will officially be called West, trading its green and white colors for baby-blue uniforms.

The first game of the World Series will start at 10 a.m. (PDT) Friday. Park View plays its first game at 5 p.m. Saturday against the Great Lakes champion from Russellville, Ky.

Little League covers the travel expenses for players and coaches. Relatives of the players must pay their own way.

XX Sports Radio (1090-AM) raised $22,000 yesterday for the team, $10,000 of it donated by the Padres.

“There's a lot of great families around that team,” said Jack Evans, the station's vice president for programming/operations. “They've spent an awful lot of time on the ballfield with those kids, making a lot of sacrifices. It's great for them to go and experience it.”